Only time will tell
by the march hear
Summary: What happened to Kat and Patrick.


Inspired by a great short lived TV series and the stories I've read. Don't crucify me it's the first time I've done anything like this. I own nothing but the thoughts in my head!

Only time would tell

She felt so nervous, everyone one was steering at her , watching her and all she could do was search the crowd for his face, finally she found him, he was smiling at her, he gave her a wink and a grin willing her on , letting her know she was doing great. He was her past, her present and her future, her friend, her lover and soon to be her husband. He was there when her world fell apart and she needed a friend, he patched up her broken heart, helped her live again and helped her survive college. He life revolved around Blank now. She smiles as she reaches him, he smiles back, his love for her shining through. She loves him too and the next time she does this he will be the one waiting at the alter, for her as her dad now waits for Darlene, her soon to be step mum.

She cannot wait for the wedding to be over, she desperately needs to get out of this pathetic pink thing Darlene has her laced into, its far too tight and shows off far too much cleavage for her liking unlike Bianca who adores the dress. Finally Darlene emerges from the bridal suite, changed out of her wedding dress, changed in to a

sickly orange suit.

'Kat dear, the room is all yours, think of it as a graduation present, I've booked your dad and I into another hotel, we don't want to be disturbed by the guests'

Too much information she thinks but races over to he sister. She doesn't dwell on Darlene statement, all she can think about is getting changed, getting out of that awful dress.

'B come on, we can go get out of this crap!'

'I happen to like mine, Cameron thinks it shows off my figure'

'Well I'm getting out of mine, send Blank up will you'

She flops down on the double poster bed cursing, 'Why was Blank taking so long?'

She couldn't reach behind herself to undo the lacing, she needed help getting in it so she certainly needed help getting out of it, where was he? Why was he taking so long? She'd seen him drinking at the bar, but it shouldn't have taken this long to finish his beer.

Finally there was a tap at the door, she jumped off the bed and ran for the door, 'Crap' she screamed as she opened it. Immediately trying to push it shut again but he pushed back

'What the hell are you doing here? ' she demanded all the while trying to ignore the butterflies that had returned to her tummy.

'I'm you graduation present courtesy of your new step mum' he smirked at her raising his left eyebrow, something he knew always got to her

'What? What the hell are you talking about? No! I don't wanna know! Go away!, you're not welcome' but remembering what Darlene had said earlier.

She couldn't take her eyes of him, she knew deep down this was why she hadn't been home in three years, she couldn't bear to see him with another woman, couldn't bare to see him full stop because she'd have to remember. Remember that night, the night before she left for college.

She tried to slam the door shut again but Patrick Verona forced himself in

'Get out of here, I'm waiting for Blank, he's going to help me out of this dress and he cannot find you here'

'Well babe, your gonna have a long wait, he's drunk and B and Cameron were just putting him in a taxi, so here I am, I'll help you 'he smirked

Blank drunk, that was so unlike him, but she couldn't think about that now, she had to focus on getting away from Patrick.

He approached her but she took a step back and then another until she felt the wall behind her, she couldn't take her eyes off him as much as she wanted to but it was become clear to her that he still affected her, that she still wanted him even after what he had done to her. But she was KAT Stratford, she could be strong, she had a new life now, a life with Blank.

'Good now I have you where I want you' he whispered

'Get out' she screamed at him again 'Leave me alone! We're over! Done! I'm marrying Blank'

He raised his voice 'No! We are not! You never returned my phone calls, answered my texts you returned my letters unopened, you made up you mind and never gave me a chance to explain'

She was shocked he hadn't flinched at that, so he must have already known. She realised then that this was a set up.

'Explain! What was there to explain? You were in bed with some girl the night before I left for college' she shouted back at him, angry that Darlene had interfered in her life.

He moved closer still and she tried to back further away but there was no where to go, he planted his hands either side of her face, trapping her against the wall, his wood smoke aftershave wafting up her nostrils , her body remembering his ,turning her on just like it used too. No! She wasn't that girl anymore

'Get out leave me alone' she pleaded. He leaned even closer, she could feel his hot breathe on her face, 'Not until you've heard my side of the story… You know it was really your fault' he whispered

'My fault, My fault! How could it have been my fault! I was not the…' she screamed at him

'Shut Up and listen' he shouted back, the look on his face menacing which made Kat stop mid sentence and she felt a little afraid of him, Patrick had always been so gentle and loving with her but this, she didn't know what to think, but then it had been nearly three years since she has seen him. She knew people changed, she had changed.

'We had planned to spend your last night together, I had a surprise for you, you knew that, I had saved hard, I was going to take you to that expensive vegetarian place you adored so much and then give you' he removed one hand from the wall and started unbuttoning his shirt 'this' he said as a chain appeared around his neck with a ring threaded through it, a diamond ring in the shape of a heart ' but you blew me off for dinner with daddy and B, I was mad, so mad I went out and blew all my cash getting pissed, I don't remember getting home or picking up that broad I was out of it. I'm truly sorry. I love you! Always have! Always will! There hasn't been anyone else'

Kat was shocked, she just stared at the ring, He was going to give her a ring an engagement ring a beautiful heart shaped engagement ring she thought about what had happened and he was right she had never let him explain. She had made up her mind, banished him from her life and moved on or so she thought.

She was stunned 'Was?, Is that an…. engagement ring? '

'Yeah I was hoping you'd go to Brown as my fiancée' he stared deep into her eyes as he answered. Seeing him here now bearing his soul to her seeing the way he still affected her, in a way Blank never had, she still fancied him, wanted him even, but she had made a commitment to Blank which she intended to keep.

Since she had left, she'd never been back, Blank had seen to that, her life here was done, after graduation she and Blank were moving to Oregon to be near his parents, he had a job, she would find them a flat, plan their wedding and then find herself a job, that was the plan, his plan, Blank had organised it all and she had just gone along with it.

Patrick spun her around 'Come on, I gotta help you out of the dress,'

'No' she protested

'There's no one else'

She thought for a moment, she hated the dress wanted out of it but this was Patrick Verona and she wasn't sure she could cope with him touching her but once she realised what he said was true she whispered 'ok'

He moved even closer, if that was possible, she could feel his body pressed into hers as he started to undo the bow and then started to unthread the lacing that ran the full length of the bodice of her dress. She could feel his breathe on her bare shoulder, the feel of his hands on her body and his smell all of which catapulted her mind back to the days when they were lovers. She was jolted back to reality when she felt his lips caress her neck and his arms encircle her waist, she pulled away and turned to face him ready to tell him not to touch her but she couldn't open her mouth and form those words because she actually wanted him to touch her, caress her. Kat was at an impasse she hated her self for still having feeling for him, feelings she thought she has buried deep but she wanted him so much than all thought of her impending marriage to Blank had been washed from her mind on the tide of emotions Patrick was forcing her to confront.

Patrick was in heaven she hadn't slapped him, kicked him or shouted at him like he was expecting so he leant forward and planted a soft kiss on her lips. She didn't push him off, her body remembered his touch, wanted it again, needed it again and she surprised herself when she returned his kiss, so he deepened it and when he felt her hand come up to tangle in his soft curls he swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed. What was she doing, she had to stop she knew that but she couldn't. She couldn't stop thinking about the ring, about Patrick wanting to propose to her, about how handsome he looked and how much she wanted to be in his arms again, so she had surrendered to his kiss.

Patrick couldn't believe she had let him make love to her, he had expected arguments, abuse and violence but she had returned his affection with equal measure. As she laid in his arms her hands came up behind his neck and unclasped the chain and released the ring, Kat looking deep into his eyes and silently begged Patrick for permission and as he nodded in reply she slipped the ring onto her finger, She marvelled at how it fit, how right it seemed how beautiful it looked and she was still staring at it as Patrick attacked her again.

Kat awoke, glanced over at the clock and jumped out of bed screaming 'Crap! Crap! Crap!'

Patrick tried to grab her arm but she pulled away grabbing her clothes, 'Come on Kat it wasn't that bad, we both wanted this, you didn't try to stop me, don't freak out on me'

Kat carried on getting dress ignoring Patrick and muttering obscenities under her breathe. Patrick leapt from the bed and wrapped his arms around her stopping her in her tracks. 'I….We both' but Kat was shaking her head before he could finish

'I have to get to the airport my dad's plane leaves in an hour' she explained realising Patrick thought she was upset about what had happened between them.

'Ok I'll drive you'

They both finished getting dressed and Patrick grabbed Kat hand and flew out of the hotel without another word but only letting her go when he unlocked the car door for her. They rode to the airport in silence both lost in their own thoughts. Patrick was reliving every delicious moment of their night together and Kat wondering how she was going to explain this to Blank, or even if she wanted to.

Patrick dropped Kat at the door 'I'll just park the car'

'No!' she said 'Don't wait!, I'll call you later'

'What? Wait we need to talk'

'Patrick you can't come in, Blank will be there. I will call you! Bye!' and with out thinking she instinctively leaned across and kissed his cheek.

Kat dashed into the airport and saw her dad pacing up and down glaring at his wristwatch and her new step mother trying to pacify him.

As she approached them Blank came up to her,

'Where have you been? I've been so worried.'

But before she could answer her father was hugging her.

'I thought you'd had an accident been kidnapped murdered' he said

'Calm down dad I fell asleep in the hotel room and came straight here when I awoke' she lied

Her stepmother approached her and as she hugged her, she whispered in her ear 'So you found the rest of my present then, Your Dad's really worried that you are making a big mistake marrying Blank I hope my present helped your clarify your future!'

Kat could feel her cheeks turning a deep shade of red as she blushed. She pulled away and looked deep in her step mother's eyes and finally saw all the love she had for her father shining through. They said their goodbyes and her father and step mother went off to board their plane for their honeymoon like two giggly schoolgirls on a sleepover.

Blank grabbed her arm and said' 'Come on we need to move our plane leaves in 30 minutes'

Kat didn't move, Darlene's words finally registered.

'Blank we need to talk'

'We don't have time we can do that on the plane' he answered

She saw the way Bianca was looking at Cameron and the way he returned that look, her father looked at Darlene that way too and she had finally seen Darlene look at her father that way. Blank looked at her like that but she knew she didn't look at Blank that way, the way that two people so hopelessly in love with one another look at each other and she finally realised what she must do,

'Blank I'm not coming with you, I can't marry you, I've tried to be everything you want me to be but I can't spend the rest of my life like that. I'm sorry I truly am'

Blank looked at her and nodded

' I knew this was a mistake coming back here , why do you think I've stopped you coming back here for holiday's I knew you weren't in love with me I knew your heart was here and I knew I could not compete with that. I knew this would happen. I love you Kat and I know you don't feel the same way But I can live with that. We've been happy we can be again'

Kat walked over to him and kissed him softly on the cheek 'Goodbye Blank and I'm sorry, you'll always be my best friend but I want more than that, you'll find someone who will love you the way I never will.' and with that she turned and walked to the exit with Bianca and Cameron hot on hers tails with Blank desperately calling her name.

The sun was starting to set and as she stared at the ocean her phone bleeping again, she pulled it from her pocket to see another message from Patrick, she sighed before she texted back _Patrick leave me alone. Give me some time I need to think_

She replaced the phone in her pocket and sighed again. What was she going to do? Could she forgive Patrick? Did she want to? She didn't know! Did she want him back, again she didn't know. Suddenly she felt a pair on strong arms circle her waist.

'I thought I'd find you here' he whispered into her hair and as he turned her round to crash his lips down on hers. Her mind and body answering her earlier musings, only time would tell but it sure would be fun finding out!


End file.
